“We have bottled Jaipur Literary Festival for Alchemy and London!” said a beaming William Dalrymple, standing in the festival hall of the Southbank Centre, in his striped blue and white kurta. Long considered an ‘Honorary Indian’, he should now be accepted as a bona fide true blue Hindustani based entirely on his ability to wear the churidar with such élan, not an easy garment to carry off, and not least because it is his driving force that has made JLF into a major brand for ‘Shining India’. Called the world’s largest free literary festival, it has spawned many festivals in the region, has had its share of controversy and drama, high profile writers and even Oprah, thrown into the mix to add to the mass appeal.
Alchemy, now in its fifth year, is Southbank Centre’s annual celebration of literature, music, fashion, dance, art and design from the UK and South Asia. “It usually takes us two years to organise JLF - when we were invited to be a part of Alchemy, we had only weeks left to prepare, but we managed”, stated Dalrymple. “It is a beautiful summer day and we still have full auditoriums, so I am quite pleased with the response.” When I asked him if this was the way forward for JLF, to be part of various festivals around the globe, he said, “I won’t rule it out, given the opportunity!”
[quote]Dalrymple should now be accepted as a bona fide Hindustani based entirely on his ability to wear the churidar with such élan[/quote]
The crowds were certainly there, of students and academics, the young and the old, the South Asians and the British. Riveted audiences sat through readings and discussions interspersed with music. One such session was on the role of Faiz Ahmed Faiz as revolutionary and romantic. His daughter, the lovely Salima Hashmi related anecdotes from his life and read from the letters that he wrote to her mother Alice, while he was incarcerated. Kamila Shamsi recited English translations of the much loved Mujh say Pehli si Mohabbat and Hum Dekhengey by Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Ali, followed by Ali Sethi’s energetic and heartfelt renditions of the Urdu originals. As Hashmi retraced Faiz’s life and her memories of him, she spoke of the launch of his book Dast-e-Saba in the 50s, in Lahore, the cover of which was done by Chughtai. “I realized the importance of freedom of expression and the literary figure my father had become when I saw grown men and women weeping as I distributed copies.”
Visitors soak up the atmosphere
Discussing myth in the form of historical and cultural vocabulary and its interaction with our individual memories were playwright Girish Karnad, classicist Mary Beard and Sanskrit professor James Mallinson. “The more violent the myth is, the more applicable and acceptable it is”, said Karnad giving the example of the newly elected Indian prime minister and his role in the RSS in the past. “ Now another temple is being proposed by a minister of state, at the site of a mosque, where myth has it that a temple of one of the Hindu Gods was supposed to be.” The relationship between myth, religious rituals made for an interesting exchange between the panelists, asking important questions about how much myth was present and allowed for within organised religion.
[quote]The 'pure' East and the 'immoral' West concepts have gradually melted[/quote]
Film scholar Rachel Dwyer’s session on Hindi Cinema or Bollywood as it is more commonly referred to - apparently much to the chagrin of the older generation of Indian cinephiles - drew many Indians and Pakistanis. She explored Bollywood’s London connection and fixation, by showing scenes from various Hindi films to illustrate how this relationship had changed over the years. The ‘pure’ East and the ‘immoral’ West concepts have gradually melted into a more aspirational and fun narrative in favour of the West, the symbol of which in the post-colonial Indian mind somehow still remains London! The affluent NRI factor and the millions of pounds that are generated at the box office per year by these films, have been the game changers for the genre. “Bollywood has come a long way since Yash Chopra, a London aficionado, brought the first Indian colour film, ‘Waqt’, for a premiere to the Indian High Commission in London. Chopra recalled the High Commissioner saying that Indian films were the biggest pile of rubbish there ever was!” recounts Dwyer.
Hand painted welcome sign in many South Asian languages
A session devoted to China’s emerging role in the world provided an opportunity to Xiaolu Guo, Chinese writer and filmmaker to air her views on the topic. Guo is somewhat of a controversial figure given her criticism of American literature and British reading habits! Her arguments about China are firmly rooted in personal experiences and an in-depth knowledge of the country from which she originates. She outlined China’s ecological problems and the lack of a powerful cultural image as major factors against China becoming a major global power in the foreseeable future. Her new book ‘I am China’ promises to be an invigorating read, in terms of content, if not altogether in terms of form. The witty Oscar Guardiola-Rivera; author of ‘Story of a Death Foretold’, Rana Mitter Director of the China Centre and Kwasi Kwarteng, conservative MP and scholar were the other participants of this lively discussion.
The verses of Ghalib’s ‘Dil Hi to Hai’, in the melodious voice of Vidya Shah soared and glided through the Clore Ballroom, decorated in the magentas, terracotas and saffrons of the subcontinent, creating a surreal experience for all those present. Dalrymple and Shah sat cross-legged on a raised platform covered in white sheets and told the tale of the last days of the Mughals in a style evocative of the era. Accompanied by the strains of the taanpura, Shah vocalised the works of the great poets of the period, the robust folk poetry of the time and ghazals of the Mughal court, while Dalrymple read excerpts from his celebrated book, The Last Mughal, bringing to life a world of emperors, bayonets, courtesans and intrigue. Stories about Bahadur Shah Zafar and Ghalib and Zauq and the enterprise that was the East India Company, flowed flawlessly by way of words and music chronicling the last days of Mughal rule.
As I walked across the Embankment footbridge, leaving behind hundreds of people still enjoying the festivities, I wondered whether the organisers of JLF ever envisaged the momentum it would gain. That it would go beyond authors promoting new books and agents and publishers connecting with writers - by creating a platform without a political agenda that requires you to just bring an open mind with you.
